Dressage from start to finish

[dressage1anja]

Hey guys- im kind of bored, and thought id share with you how i ride :P dont ask me why cause even i couldnt answer that ;) hehe. but i have done it before and it really helped me like decide if i am riding accurate- also this can be a thread where we can comment on eachothers riding :) ok? here it goes.

Well- i usually will start like most people do, long rein. but in the free walk i try to get him to swing in his back by using me legs left and right, once he is pure in his movement and swinging in his back i will pick the snaffle up. Start with my hands infront closeing my hands as i use the leg. Once i get him softer i start in the trot, rising of course- rising so i can stay off the back while he is trying to come to the bit. Then once i feel he is happy with the gait- pure, and supple i will start to engage. My favorite AID is about 3 letters before the corner do a half halt- supple threw the half halt, then be soft on the corner to engage. Anyways- then i will sit and pick up the Kurb. Start doing more and more engagement, trying to get cadance. Exc. lateral work, collection. exc. ha- thats pretty much my ride--

[GemmaA]

Well....I start by walking on a contact, but a fairly long one, just loosening up the muscles. After about ten minutes of this, I will start to ask for a longer outline and for her to stretch down. My mare has a lot of tension in her neck so my trainer and I are really working on releasing that the enable her to step through more. I then do trot and canter circles on a long rein, asking for a good stretch down. At this point in time, it is not the best stretch at the start of the session as she is only novice, but the important thing is never to have her falling onto her forehand. I then go back to walk and do some walk voltes using the flexion to help me establish softness in an outline.
Then we move onto our work at the moment which is developing the trot and really working on the left hand bend which she is fairly stiff in. If the canter is going well I will generally work on her counter canter, and also like to do some leg yielding in walk and turn on the forehand as suppling exercises. Throughout the session, I give her regular stretching down...which she is getting really fabby at now, really starting to work that tension in her neck out now!